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My iPod Speaks to Me

Whenever I’m in a really awful mood I just turn on my iPod. Well if I’m angry I have a specific playlist of really loud songs, starting with Back in Black. Best. Tantrum song. Ever. And even better because of the history of that song. As Dave would explain (he knows this because he was a teenage male in the ’80s, AC/DC was part of their DNA) they’d lost their lead singer and were supposed to collapse in a pile and die, but then they came back. With THAT.

I digress. Oh can I also mention, while I digress, that the the opening shot of Ironman, with the caravan coming across the desert with that song playing over it, is one of the best things in movie history ever? Thank you Jon Favreau. You have the best taste in movie music. Let’s trade playlists.

My iPod speaks to me because it is the musical history of my life. All the songs I love, none of the crap that makes me want to change the station. Oh sorry kids, for those of you who don’t know, back in the olden days we had radios and you couldn’t choose what you wanted to listen to at any moment (or watch for that matter – but we didn’t even have music videos or computers yet, egad!). If you wanted new music you had to turn the dial!

We did have cassette tapedecks, and you could have one ready next to the radio so that when your favorite song came on you would press record really fast and HOLD IT UP TO THE SPEAKER for the length of the song. Your arms would be cramping by the end of it and you’d have the bumping sonds from when you were losing your grip, and of course the DJ’s wacky talk over the beginning of the song. Times were tough back then.

OK so back to why my iPod knows and loves me so well. One day last year I had the day off. It was my only day off all year. Isn’t that pathetic? I never close the day care. But I discovered one day that my contract says I get two personal days per year. I’d never even taken one so after five years in business I knew it was time.

You know what’s funny about that? The state wants you to go to conferences and trainings and stuff on your personal days. Isn’t that hilarious?

So the plan was a hair appointment, lunch at school with my boys, and girl’s night out (which I also never do). But things weren’t turning out great. I stopped for coffee on the way to the haircut and the place was being renovated (no coffee. Bad omen right there). The color that I paid a lot of money for didn’t take (of course the girls tried very hard to convince me it looked great, they just kept saying “Yes, in the right light, oh yeah when you turn your head that way I can see it…” I love my girls).

The high expectations for my personal day were crashing down. Come on, man! I get one of these every five years!!! I deserve better! This should be the most awesome day!!! So I put the iPod on shuffle and it was a magical soothing medicine. Here’s what it played for me:

2. Dead Set on Destruction, Husker Du – Hey, at least I’m not stuck in an airport. I’m just gonna ROCK. OUT.

3. U2, The End of the World – Everybody having a good time, except you – you were talking about the end of the world. (Pity party, anyone?)

4. Another Day, James Taylor – The voice of my childhood floating soothingly out the speakers, with his “bittersweet blend of folk rock” or whatever they called it on The Simpsons. “Life goes on.” (PS Get over yourself.)

5. Ever After, from Into the Woods – I listened to this album incessantly while I was pregnant with Older Son. It was the way I wanted to teach him about life. Fairy tales, a happy ending here and there, but maybe not what was promised, and compromise, compromise, compromise. Life not living up to your expectations.

I’d say that was a perfect set for a day that didn’t quite measure up, but also didn’t totally suck.

So in conclusion, “The iPod is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” That’s Ben Franklin with a twist of Amy.